


Business or Pleasure

by doyoushipwhoiship



Category: Adam-12
Genre: Annoyed Pete Malloy, Gen, Jim Gets to Drive, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Other, Patient Jim Reed, Period-Typical Homophobia, There's A Tag For That
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:12:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23430736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doyoushipwhoiship/pseuds/doyoushipwhoiship
Summary: It’s their day off, and with his Mustang still in the shop, Pete has to catch a ride with Jim so he can run some errands. As it turns out, Pete’s not the only one who needs a ride.
Relationships: Jean Reed/Jim Reed
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Business or Pleasure

“Did you want to grab dinner at some point? I’m starving,” Pete complains from the passenger seat.

“Don’t worry. We can catch a bite before I take you home. But I’ve gotta save my appetite,” Jim adds. “Jean’s making roast chicken and asparagus.”

“Euughh. Asparagus? You think Jimmy’ll eat that?”

“Oh, he’s great about eating his vegetables. He knows they’re good for him.”

“Whatever you say, partner.” They’re caught at a stoplight. “You know, if he keeps up like this, he’s gonna be as tall as you.”

“Maybe.”

“Well, I won’t allow it. You’re too tall as it is.”

“I’m two inches taller than you!” Jim laughs.

They continue bickering until on the side of the road they see a very exhausted-looking older woman, leaning up against a traffic pole trying to catch her breath. Jim pulls to the curb and Pete rolls down the window.

“You all right, ma’am?”

The lady, who seems to be in her fifties or sixties, in a floral-print dress, is wearing some impressive heels and looks pained. “Yes,” she huffs. “Only…” It turns out she and her husband had driven up to the drugstore to pick up a few things and her forgetful husband went home without her! She tried to call him from a payphone but he wouldn’t pick up: “He’s probably busy putting the groceries away,” she concludes, rolling her eyes.

“How far away’s your house?” asks Malloy.

“I only had a few blocks to go” —she points up the street— “but these shoes, as you probably know, aren’t made for walking that far!” Lifting an ankle, she shows off her sparkling stiletto.

“That’s for sure,” says Malloy, eyeing the footwear. He wonders why a woman would bother dressing up so nice to a trip to the drugstore. But then, he figures, maybe they went somewhere before that.

Reed pipes up, “Why don’t you let us take you. If it’s only a few blocks.”

“Really?” the woman gushes. “Oh, thank you, gentlemen. I’d be so grateful.”

“No problem.” Reed waits while Malloy hops out and gets the back door for her. Once they’re settled, Jim pulls back out on the road and asks for directions.

She tells them it is the blue house with the gray door and wraparound porch. “Up on the left.” She digs into her pocketbook for a few bills. “Here,” she continues, “something for your trouble.”

“Oh, no, ma’am. Don’t you worry about that,” Malloy answers for Reed.

“Well, all right.” She replaces the cash in her wallet. It is rush hour, so they have a little time to talk. “My name’s Eloise,” she says. “Eloise Darvish.”

“Mine’s Pete.”

“Jim.”

“It’s nice to meet such a nice pair of young fellows.” She praises.

“No trouble at all, Mrs. Darvish.” Reed catches her eye in the rearview mirror. “Pete and I are partners.”

“Oh? Business or pleasure?”

Pete frowns as he realizes what the woman is asking. “Mrs. Darvish—”

“Now, I didn’t mean to offend,” urges Eloise. “I think you boys look good together, that’s all.”

Nothing else is said before they reach her house. Eloise thanks them again and heads off to have a good, long talk with her husband.

On their way to grab dinner (for Pete at least), Jim drives in silence. Every thirty seconds or so he sneaks a glance at Pete, who looks perturbed and is fiddling with the electronic window controls. Jim knows he has something on his mind. He also knows if he’s patient, and doesn’t say anything, Pete will eventually confide in him.

“Jim,” he starts finally.

“Yeah?”

“Suppose that lady…Mrs. Darvish…runs into us sometime, when we’re on patrol. Suppose she says something, implies something, and somebody hears her talking.”

“What about it?”

“Well, you heard what the woman said. What she thought. Aren’t you concerned?”

Jim gives a smile. “‘Partners’ has a double meaning, Pete. We knew that.”

“Yeah, but the thought of somebody accidentally thinking…” he trails off, shakes his head.

“You’re forgetting what else she said. Partners in business,” Jim reminds. “And besides, what are you afraid of? It was a perfectly valid question for her to ask.”

Pete stares at him. “This is L.A., Jim, not ’Frisco.”

“Look, regardless of where you are in the world, if a lot of men prefer women, it stands to reason that a lot of other men don’t. That’s just how it works.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. Same with women who prefer women. Jean has a friend.”

“What kind of a friend?”

Jim glares at him. “I’m serious. Why you gotta be so antsy about it?”

“I don’t know.” He turns away, fiddling with the window control again. “I guess nobody’s really asked me directly, you know?”

“Just keep an open mind. And Pete,” he directs.

“Yeah, junior?”

Jim smiles. “We do look good together.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've noticed a lot of police procedurals like to feature this trope: off-duty cop refers to fellow off-duty cop as their "partner," which in another context means "significant other," and cop has to clarify. I wanted to explore this with Malloy and Reed. (And Eloise!).


End file.
